TILOCK: Virginia’s chief rival should be North Carolina, not Virginia Tech

A college rivalry is special. It pits two geographically close schools against each other in every sport all year long. The ideal matchup should be even — two foes who provide a high-stakes, close battle that is worthy of the rivalry title.

Other than emotional debate and in-state bickering, Virginia Tech does not fit the bill as a true top nemesis for Virginia.

Although both schools reside in the Commonwealth, play each other in most sports and have a heated history, the Hokies are light-years behind the Cavaliers in many key statistics. A better true rival for Virginia would be North Carolina — in fact, it used to be that way before Virginia Tech joined the ACC in 2004.

The issue

The University of Virginia has 37 national championships. The Hokies have zero — they are one of just three Power Four schools to never hoist a national title trophy in any varsity team sport. Ultimately, that is the most pertinent discrepancy between the two athletic departments.

Zooming into recent history, the gap is still far too wide.

Since the Smithfield Commonwealth Clash was started for all sports, the Cavaliers have won in all but three years. Virginia is on a four-year win streak right now. Those four years have been especially brutal for Virginia Tech.

Across all sports, Virginia’s Class of 2026 went 58-29 against the Hokies during their time on Grounds.

Mar 9, 2023; Greensboro, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Caleb Love (2) shoots as Virginia Cavaliers forward Jayden Gardner (1) defends in the second half of the quarterfinals of the ACC tournament at Greensboro Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

North Carolina was the original rival

Of all the FBS football rivalries, only Wisconsin-Minnesota has been played more than Virginia-North Carolina. It is a matchup that dates back to the late 19th century, when the Cavaliers and Tar Heels were the heavyweights of the Southern Conference.

For most of the early to mid-20th century, Virginia versus North Carolina was played as the final game of the regular season — regularly reserved for the biggest rivalries.

North Carolina and Virginia have both been in the ACC since 1953, dueling as ranked opponents in several sports. Ralph Sampson and Michael Jordan battled for ACC basketball supremacy. A top-10 Cavalier field hockey team fought Erin Matson for the conference crown.

The two rivals play ranked matchups in men's and women's lacrosse, men's and women's soccer, swimming and diving, baseball and more. They battle in Omaha and Greensboro. Throughout history, these two schools have had to beat one another for championships.

In many ways, the Tar Heels are simply a more formidable opponent than the Hokies. Academically, Virginia and North Carolina routinely rank close to each other regarded as Public Ivies and both are over 20 spots higher than Virginia Tech on national university rankings. At least one United States president attended the two schools, but not Virginia Tech.

Excluding the recent additions of Cal and Stanford, North Carolina has an ACC-best 52 national championships. The Tar Heels are a respected giant, one that the Cavaliers can strive to match.

The geographic connection is there as well. UNC is roughly 50 miles farther from Charlottesville than Virginia Tech — and the states are direct neighbors.

Meanwhile, Virginia Tech did not join the ACC until 2004. Outside of football, the true Cavaliers-Hokies rivalry did not blossom until the past two decades.

Virginia Cavaliers guard Kymora Johnson (21) leads Virginia to a 78-75 win at No. 8 North Carolina, March 2, 2025. | Courtesy Virginia Athletics

Football

The gridiron is probably the most intense dueling ground for Virginia and Virginia Tech. It is a simple and undeniable fact that the Hokies have dominated on the football field for a long time. The Cavaliers have only won three times this century — although the tide could be turning for Virginia, currently owning a one-game win streak in football.

That Hokies dominance could be considered even more evidence that North Carolina is a more fitting rival. The Tar Heels are a better match, contending in most sports but treading water in football. Virginia leads the Tar Heels 14-12 this century, in a series that has seen both teams author lengthy winning streaks.

The verdict

North Carolina-Virginia was once one of the fiercest rivalries in all of college sports. However, Duke has taken the mantle of UNC's top rival — it is only eight miles away from Chapel Hill, N.C., after all. The Tar Heels, Blue Devils and Cavaliers do have a trio rivalry of sorts, but the clear top connection is between Duke and North Carolina.

Over the past few decades, the Blue Devils have emerged as contenders in other sports, making them a worthy rival of the Tar Heels. The Virginia-North Carolina rivalry has faded into more of a secondary one, while Virginia Tech has been turned into the Cavaliers’ main rival.

The Hokies are still a rival for Virginia. The intensity of the Commonwealth Clash, especially in football, is palpable. However, when considering all factors such as success, history, and academics, the most fitting rival for the Cavaliers is certainly the Tar Heels and not the titleless Virginia Tech.

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